Together with the weekly consolation prize, local resident Clorrissa Penner took home $28,599 Tuesday as the WAC Chase the Ace jackpot winner.

The event had recently outgrown the Winkler Arts and Culture Centre and organizers added a second draw location with the Winkler Arena. The ace was chosen with just seven cards remaining.

"It was nervewracking, you have a room full of people staring at you picking a card," Penner says, adding when the ace was revealed she was in disbelief.

Her husband and four-year-old and six-month-old learned of the news on social media that night as well.

"I got home and we were both in tears. It was a joyous moment," Penner says.

With the nearly $30,000 boost, Penner says one of the first purchases will be new hearing aids for herself, and taking "the honeymoon trip we've never had" with her husband, along with paying off some debt.

WAC Director Wendy Klassen says the fundraiser has been a huge success, "we never imagined for it to get this high."

"We were so humbled to see people come back week after week and hear them say, "If I don't win, at least I know the money went to a good cause." We really appreciate the generous community we have."

WAC splits gross ticket sales minus the lottery fee and expenses. In total, the organization raised approximately $44,000 for programming and operations through the lottery.

While bittersweet to see the successful run come to an end, Klassen says they're not wasting time starting again next Tuesday with a fresh deck and $2,000 jackpot.